We are grateful to Which? for providing us with the following guide to
giving from their December 2005 edition.
Tips for good giving
Once you've decided which charity or charities you want to support, there are
plenty of ways to do it. Here are a few of them.
Set up a regular payment
Charities love regular donations because it gives them an income they can count
on. As a regular donor you also feel more involved as you'll usually receive
updates on what the charity is doing and what your money is being spent on. If
you really want to get a gold star don't wait to be asked. Set up a direct
debit yourself (you can get this through the charity).
Use Gift Aid to increase your gift by at least 28 per cent
If you are a taxpayer, use Gift Aid when you give to charity to make your
donation worth 28 per cent more. It doesn't cost you a penny, but it could make
a vital difference to the charity you're supporting. All you need to do is sign
the form that the charity will give you, or if you are donating by telephone
just answer 'yes' when asked if you want to donate through Gift Aid. You can
find a copy of the Gift Aid declaration form at
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/appendix_b1.pdf - opens new browser window.
If you are a higher rate tax payer you can also claim tax relief to the value
of 22% of your original donation when you complete your annual Self Assessment
Tax Form and either make a further donation to charity or keep the money
yourself.
Give straight from your pay
Payroll Giving is a unique way for people to give to charity. By having their donations come straight from their gross pay before tax, employees effectively increase the value of their contributions. Employees can choose to support any charity of their choice with a regular donation direct from their pay. It's cheaper because its tax free - for example, a donation of £5 per month costs the basic rate tax payer £3.90 (the taxman pays the rest!). For more information please visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/payrollgiving/ - opens new browser window or www.payrollgiving.co.uk - opens new browser window
Give shares
As much as £100 million in shares is donated to charity each year. By donating
shares, you can earn up to 40 per cent income tax relief as well as exemption
from capital gains tax. So, if you've got some shares gathering dust, consider
giving them to charity. Visit
www.sharegift.org.uk - opens new browser window for more details.
Remember a charity in your will
Legacies give you the chance to make a real difference even after you're gone,
and most gifts to charities are free of inheritance tax. See
www.rememberacharity.org.uk - opens new browser window for free advice
and a Will Guide.
Give to charities in your local area
Many charities operate in local communities and in some areas community
foundations have been set up to support local causes, especially to link local
donors with local needs. See
www.communityfoundations.org.uk - opens new browser window to see if
there is a community foundation in your community and find out how they can
help.
Give to charities if you are a business
Businesses can make donations to charities from their pre-tax profits.
Businesses can also support charities by sponsoring activities and events or
through community involvement programmes. To find out more about corporate
giving see
www.bitc.org.uk - opens new browser window. To find out more about the
other ways business can support communities see,
www.societyandbusiness.gov.uk - opens new browser window.
Cards and gifts
Many charities sell their own Christmas cards, and some of the larger ones also
produce gift catalogues, often throughout the year as well as at Christmas. If
possible, buy your cards direct from the charity because that way it receives a
higher percentage of the profit.
For the person who has everything: If you're really stuck what
to get someone for Christmas, give on their behalf to someone who doesn't have
everything. The Charities Advisory Trust, Oxfam, Save the Children and
World Vision UK, all run 'alternative gift' schemes where your
money buys a specific item or service. Many 'gifts' help to tackle proverty in
communities around the world. For example, you can buy a goat for as little as
£13, build a toilet for £30 or buy starter packs of seed and tools - even give
a donkey or a herd of sheep. The person you are buying the gift on behalf of
will receive a card describing the item. Buying gifts this way can save
someone's life. See Charities Advisory Trust Good Gifts Catalogue
www.goodgifts.org - opens new browser window or call 020 7794 8000.
Oxfam:
www.oxfamunwrapped.com - opens new browser window or call 0870 410 5030
(or pick up a catalogue in any Oxfam shop). Save the Children
www.savethechildren.co.uk - opens new browser window or call 020 7012
6400. World Vision UK
www.greatgifts.org - opens new browser window or call 0845 600 6449.
Gifts in kind: There are around 6,500 charity shops in the UK
which rely on donations of good quality, re-saleable items of clothes, books
and bric-a-brac. This way of giving costs you nothing, but is a significant
benefit to the charity. And you're helping the environment too by passing on
re-useable items. The Association of Charity Shops at
www.charityshops.org.uk - opens new browser window will tell you more.
But please only donate things you'd be willing to buy yourself. Charity shops
are spending £4.5 million a year on waste disposal for things they can't sell
like single shoes, dirty underwear or even false teeth.
Give your time: You can find out more about volunteering through TimeBank, a charity set up by the founders of Comic Relief at www.timebank.org.uk - opens new browser window or through a Home Office initiative www.do-it.org.uk - opens new browser window.
Giving you the facts about giving
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The UK population gave £8.9 billion to charity during 2005/06.
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In 2005/06 almost three-fifths of the UK adult population, 28 million people, gave at least once per month, maintaining last year's giving levels.
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The average monthly amount given per person was £15.28. This equates to £26.53 per donor.
-
Direct Debits were the method used to donate the highest amount of money for charity in 2005/06 at 22 per cent of the total. Though yielding just 16 per cent of the total amount given, cash is the most widely used method of giving, employed by 49 per cent of donors.
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Women remained more likely to give than men, with 61 per cent of the adult UK female population giving per month compared with 53 per cent of the male population. Men give more per donor than women at £29 per month, compared with £25 for women.
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In an average month, three-quarters of the total amount donated is given by the one-quarter of donors who give £25 or more. Nearly half of all donors give under £10 and about three quarters give under £25.
- Causes supported, beginning with those supported by the largest proportion of donors, are:
- Medical research
- Children/young people
- Hospitals/hospices
- Overseas
- Animals
- Disabled
- Religious
- Other causes
- Education
- Homeless
- Elderly
- Health
- Environment
- Sport
- Arts
From the report "UK Giving 2005/06 - opens new browser window" by NCVO and CAF.
Other links about giving
The following websites provide a range of information on giving including how to
give tax-effectively and how to give on-line.
Which? magazine was launched in 1957 by the Consumers' Association, an
independent charity. Following a review in 2004, the whole organisation now
works under the Which? name.